Hey guys, I just started SWIFT school and decided to reprt how things are going on here. I had a lot of questions and couldnt find info on going through their school.... so here goes.

Monday- ( 9/10) 7pm. I left Savannah GA and headed to Millington, TN. Via Greyhound.. (awful bus ride... but thats another story)

Tuesday- Arrived here at about 10am and shuttle picked us up at 12. We got to the hotel, got our room assignments and went to our rooms. Thew rooms here are decent (just dont expect a hilton and you'll be fine. My room has 4 beds. 1 in the living room, and 3 in the bedroom. My brother in law came up here with me, so we got put in a room together. We went to Kroger (very close) and bought some groceries, and pretty much sat around the rest of the afternoon, getting to know our roomates.

Weds - You meet behind Ryans steak house at 5:15. am. All you do on wednessday is go to the classroom and do all your drug testing, physical, vision, eye and paperwork. The "workwell test" is easy if you only do dry van, the flatbed test is a little harder. lifting 85 pounds to eye heighth, the "right" way. Then you go to the terminal in memphis and meet your processor. (you'll gat a 6" sub for lunch). You also get your manuals and homework assignment here. If you want to be ahead of the game i'd get a Tennessee CDL manual (free) before you get here, and STUDY it.

Thurs- DMV day. Let me say this, every document they tell you to bring is important. If you dont bring it you'll have to get it OVERNIGHTED to you, so make sure you bring it.

You go and WAIT and WAIT and WAIT to get your Drivers Lic. switched to a TN license. There's some instruction on this day, just make sure you do all of your homework.

Friday - Intro to log books, more instruction ( You'll be lost if you didn't read that book!) and more paperwork.

Sat - Pre test and get to see a rig for the first time. You'll watch the instructor couple and uncouple a trailer and get into log books a little more. Then, more review.

Sun - TESTING. General knowledge, combo's and Air brakes. You have to make an 80% average to go to the DMV tomorrow to get your CDL-A permit. Thats where i am now. I made a 91% average, and am ready for the DMV tomorrow. You also start learning mapping and logging.

On a personal note, i had some issues with my background check, but after going through their investigations Dept and winning an appeal with the review board, things are looking good. The instructors are really good. JV, Joel, Jimmy and Tony. Joel is a little eccentric, but he's a cool guy. All of these guys have been out there for YEARS! The only complaint i have so far, other than recruiter BS, is the size of the class. be prepared for 180 people plus. We're already down to 140ish. People not have stuff, failing physicals and drug tests, needing doctors realeases, having license issues, issues with background tests. Our maual states that if you fail a drug test or fail to disclose background info, you pay your own way home, but after asking i was given one home. thank god i didnt have to use it. So anyway.

So far, all i can say is be prepared to study and go to sleep after calss. People are staying up till like 1 am (me) studying and almost passing out in class! I'll you updated as i can. Please feel free to ask questions. I'll answer what i can. OH and be early for the bus, or you'll end up in an aisle!

 

Wow, 180 people in class. How many training trucks do they have at the location? Keep up the posts, I don't think I've read one here about the Millington Academy. I'm curious to see how many students are around when your class is over. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Why in the world are you required to switch your license to TN?

 

They have to to get you your Class A. Texas is the same way. If you come here to go to any school in TX, you need a TX Class A permit and then you will take your driving skills test to get your Class A. When you finish you return to your home state and transfer it back.

 

Glad to see this post! the 25th I leave on Greyhound to go to swift's school in Richmond, I am sure its similar.

 

interesting fact:

swift told me the richmond school is specifically for virginia residents and since im from md they would send me to tenesssee. which didnt make sense, and you are from PA and they are sending you to richmond something dont add up there

 

My recruiter told me Richmond is only for VA, PA, and another state, can't remember which one, has something to do with agreements with DMV? (I truly doubt this), actually I had a regular TN drivers license, and he preferred I switch it to PA so I can go to Richmond, which I did, no big deal switching my license over. I should of switched it over months ago anyway, hehe. But after doing a lot of research, it looks like people that go to Richmond go to their home state to actually do the CDL test, but I could be wrong, and it might be why they are selective of the state you live in to go to Richmond (Terminal locations maybe?).

 

richmond does have the better hotel and only 2 people to a room which is a plus. from what ive read richmond is pretty new too. if i go with swift my home terminal would be harrisburg because im in baltimore

 

My recruiter is based out of the Richmond terminal, and grew up where I currently live (I'm sure it's not a coincidence rofl), but he sounded really nice, and I liked what he had to say, not just the sweet talking recruiter BS, but he was very nice, did not hold back on any questions I asked, and I told him I was prospecting other companies, and the one thing he said that I liked the most, was he told me to go to a certain truck stop nearby my house, and ask not only swift drivers, but all the drivers from different companies, and see for myself what the drivers have to say.

Considering my options, I picked Swift, I could of gone SNI, but I don't have the resources to do all the required leg work before hand, So swift is my best choice in MY case. I know a lot of people have strong opinions about Swift, but every major company brings out interesting opinions from everyone, and I did read ripoffreports, other forums, Diary of a Swift Driver, etc etc etc, and from what I can gather, there are a LOT of people out there that fit into one of the following:

1) Go blindly into the industry with no clue what its like to go OTR, and get a rude awaking when they find out the lifestyle isn't what they expected

2) Thinking of nothing more than $ signs based in misconceptions of the industry

3) Lazy People, thinking anyone can drive, how hard is it to just drive? (Another rude awakening)

4) People with the WRONG attitude, you need to have a descent attitude and good patience to spend long hours in solitude, have to deal with customers, deal with morons on the road, deal with DM, etc.

5) A Quitter Attitude, It's easy to give up, it's not so easy to face the problems of life head on and learn from it, but well worth it

In my case, I got laid off from a descent job as a computer programmer 3 months ago, I live in a POOR area with no jobs of any kind, and forgive me if I refuse to flip burgers for $6 an hour part time, sure, it's a job, but I don't work just to survive, if I am going to do a job I am going to do something I ENJOY, not do it just because I HAVE to. As much as I love computers, working on them, etc, I found sitting in an office all day is not what I thought it would be. Plus I am young, 24, I want to get out, explore the world, and enjoy my life. I LOVE to drive, I love to get in a car and just drive from early morning, until the wee hours of the night, just to explore, see whats out there, see what this world has that I have yet to see. The happiest memories in my life are of the times I traveled, I have lived in 6 different states in the last 6 years, been to or through every state on the east coast from NY down, been to most of the southern states, ridden greyhound probably over 20 times (And loved every moment of it). I have no ties or attachments holding me to any one area, no assets like a house, or a vehicle to worry about, so do I think I am OTR material? I think I am, can't be 100% sure until I get out and do it, but I suspect I will love it, through the good times, and the tough times.

If I had a choice, Swift would not be my first option, but, what can I expect as a newbie? Biggest vehicle I ever drove was a 3/4 ton cargo van (Learned how to drive in it actually, steering had 3" play!), after learning how to park that thing I never had a problem with ANY 4 wheeler, rofl, but as a newbie, I don't and can't expect high end top pay, everyone has to start at the bottom of the totem pole, That is something everyone should understand, You cant step into something new and expect to be handed everything to you on a silver platter, takes work, dedication and ethic to even get to the copper platter before you can consider the silver one.

So, I will go in, understanding it takes hard work, dedication, and patience, I will LEARN EVERYTHING I can, I will ask lots of questions (Something I am damn good at ), and I will milk my newbie experience for everything it is worth, and get the most out of it. When tough times come, I will roll with the punches, learn some more, and be a stronger person for not being a quitter or a whiner. When I make mistakes, I will learn from them, so that I do not do them again, and ask for assistance from my peers to help me understand where I went wrong when I don't understand, not have a hissy fit, and point the finger at someone else (People that do that NEVER learn, they just repeat their mistakes over and over until they get the lesson, but they usually dont).

Well that was a long winded post, but I felt I had to say it, hehe.

 

"matcat"..... Interesting and insightful post! Looking forward to more of what you post on this.

The options are there, but its like anything else....you gotta flip some stones over to find what you want. 8)

Swift is no better or worse than any other....really. 8)